I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a protective band for the hand and, more specifically, to an elastic protective band having a resilient pad to absorb impact forces and redistribute them over a greater area of the wearer's hand when the band is worn to reduce tissue trauma.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, it is known to provide protective devices having resilient, cushioning material which may be positioned or worn on a wearer's hand to absorb and redistribute impact forces over a greater area of the hand. For example, in the game of baseball or softball, the catcher typically places a sponge material over his or her palm prior to inserting the hand into a catcher's glove or mitt. The sponge has the effect of transmitting the impact forces generated by the ball hitting the glove over a greater area of the hand thereby reducing tissue trauma and pain at the point of impact. In place of the sponge, the catcher could use an elastomerioc member soft rubber.
The disadvantage in using a sponge or rubber-like member is that the cushioning effect of the member deteriorates fairly quickly upon repeated impact which requires that the member be replaced quite frequently. Also, there is a tendency for the member to move-about upon impact of the ball, after initial placement in the palm of the wearer's hand, so that the member has to be frequently repositioned to achieve the desired effect. Failure to properly position or reposition the member, as necessary, will subject the catcher to considerable discomfort and possible serious injury upon impact of the ball. Still further, there is a tendency for the sponge to become lost or misplaced since it is a free member in that it is not connected or otherwise secured to the wearer's palm.
It also is known to wear a glove having a cushioning or resilient pad formed as part of the glove to distribute impact forces to the wearer's hand. Such gloves typically are worn by batters to distribute the impact force of the ball hitting the bat more evenly over the hands. However, it is not practical to wear such a batting glove under a catcher's or fielder's glove since it interferes with the flexing of the fingers of the fielder's glove thereby resulting in a loss in the control and feel of the fielder's glove.
There also are padded athletic gloves, such as those used by weight lifters, which are fingerless. That is, the finger receiving portions are cut off or eliminated. While such gloves may be suitable for their intended purpose, they are not constructed to take the wear and tear of repeated high impact forces generated by a ball travelling at speeds up to 100 mph. The seams of such gloves simply do not stand up to such impact. These gloves, unlike applicant's protective band, also are not overly elastic in construction which requires the manufacture of such gloves in multiple sizes to cover a wide range of hand sizes. This, in turn, requires the vendor to stock a large inventory of gloves which is costly both in terms of the number of gloves one has to buy and the space needed for storage. In contrast, applicant's band preferably is elastic in construction which permits one size to fit a multiple of hand sizes within a given range.
The present invention improves on the heretofore known protective devices in the manner hereinafter described.